As more and more people new to the medium gain access to computer networks, the strength of acceptable use policies will be tested … change will continue and it will intensify. Some users may decide to leave their electronic communities if it changes too much; however, the medium is becoming so vast that it is unlikely that such users will have to look far in order to find another community that is suitable, comfortable, and useful.
Predictor: Harter, Peter
Prediction, in context:Peter F. Harter of the National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN), made a research presentation at INET ’95, the Internet Society’s 1995 International Networking Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, June 27-30. NPTN was a nonprofit corporation located in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., and served as a parent organization for “free-net” community computer network systems worldwide. Harter says: ”At its heart an acceptable use policy is a contract between the user and the other users of the network, overseen by the system administrator. This contract connects each user together; this contract represents the ties that bind individuals and institutions together to form their electronic community. By agreeing to a common bond, users of a system are letting this contract be their collective conscience … As more and more people new to the medium gain access to computer networks, the strength of acceptable use policies will be tested … change will continue and it will intensify. Some users may decide to leave their electronic communities if it changes too much; however, the medium is becoming so vast that it is unlikely that such users will have to look far in order to find another community that is suitable, comfortable, and useful.”
Date of prediction: June 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Jurisdiction/Control
Name of publication: ISOC INET '95 (conference)
Title, headline, chapter name: Laws of Electronic Communities & Their Roads: High Noon?
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.isoc.org/HMP/PAPER/064/html/paper.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney